The present invention relates essentially to an internal combustion engine wherein each combustion chamber includes a main combustion chamber and an auxiliary combustion chamber connected to the main combustion chamber, fuel being delivered in separate partial quantities to the main combustion chamber and the auxiliary combustion chamber.
Combustion chambers having a main combustion chamber and an auxiliary combustion chamber have heretofore operated in accordance with the charge stratification method. That method achieves charge stratification by dividing the combustion chamber into a main combustion chamber and an auxiliary combustion chamber and separately delivering fuel to the two combustion chambers. Thus, at the time of ignition, an ignitable, fuel-rich mixture is present in the vicinity of a spark plug located in the auxiliary combustion chamber, and a leaner charge is present in the remainder of the combustion chamber. The leaner charge may be adjusted to the most favorable operating conditions of the engine, and may consist of a fuel-lean mixture or even pure air. The charge stratification method is employed in internal combustion engines to achieve lower combustion peak temperatures resulting in comparatively low emissions of noxious substances in the exhaust gases.